10-26-2006, 10:12 AM
Who is Yamini Aiyar.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Yamini Aiyar, Extended Term Consultant
I have an Msc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics U.K. I did my Bachelors in Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University, U.K. I also have a Bachelors in Philosophy from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University. I have over five years of experience in the international development sector with a specific interest in issues related to governance. Prior to joining the World Bank, I worked as Program Associate in the Governance and Civil Society unit of the Ford Foundation. In September 2004, I joined the World Bank as Decentralization Analyst with SASAR. I will be working with the Rural Water and Sanitation team. Specifically, I will be managing WSP's support to the MOU program of Government of India. Contact me.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Minority Rights, Secularism and Civil Society
Link
<i>The Indian state has failed to recognise an actively address the issue of the socio-economic rights of Muslims. Civil society organisations mirror the tendencies of the state to prioritise cultural rights over the social and economic needs of the community. It is crucial for civil society to interrogate its own position and develop a platform for concerted advocacy on issues related to the socio-economic rights of the Muslim community. </i>
<b>Yamini Aiyar, Meeto Malik </b>
Minority rights, particularly in the context of the Muslim community, have arguably been the most contested issue in contemporary India. <b>The rise of Hindu majoritarianism as a powerful force in Indian democracy over the past two decades has meant the virtual acceptance of an anti-Muslim discourse by large segments of society.</b> In this context, civil society has emerged as a central player in championing the cause of minority communities. This role is particularly important <b>in a politically charged environment where the state is often accused of abdicating its constitutional responsibility to protect religious minorities and, in some cases, even instigating violent attacks on them</b>. This paper is an attempt to interrogate civil society understandings of minority rights through an analysis of the strategies and approaches employed by some prominent civil society organisations whose work has influenced the debate on minority rights. The focus is on organisations working for and with Muslim communities, Indiaâs largest religious minority. Through this analysis, the paper presents a critique of the current debate, which has not adequately addressed the problem of the social and economic deprivation suffered by large sections of Muslims, and in so doing, confined the debate to such issues as preserving the secular and plural character of India, discussing the cultural rights of Muslims, preventing anti-minority violence and holding the state accountable for violent attacks on Muslims.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Yamini Aiyar, Extended Term Consultant
I have an Msc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics U.K. I did my Bachelors in Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University, U.K. I also have a Bachelors in Philosophy from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University. I have over five years of experience in the international development sector with a specific interest in issues related to governance. Prior to joining the World Bank, I worked as Program Associate in the Governance and Civil Society unit of the Ford Foundation. In September 2004, I joined the World Bank as Decentralization Analyst with SASAR. I will be working with the Rural Water and Sanitation team. Specifically, I will be managing WSP's support to the MOU program of Government of India. Contact me.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Minority Rights, Secularism and Civil Society
Link
<i>The Indian state has failed to recognise an actively address the issue of the socio-economic rights of Muslims. Civil society organisations mirror the tendencies of the state to prioritise cultural rights over the social and economic needs of the community. It is crucial for civil society to interrogate its own position and develop a platform for concerted advocacy on issues related to the socio-economic rights of the Muslim community. </i>
<b>Yamini Aiyar, Meeto Malik </b>
Minority rights, particularly in the context of the Muslim community, have arguably been the most contested issue in contemporary India. <b>The rise of Hindu majoritarianism as a powerful force in Indian democracy over the past two decades has meant the virtual acceptance of an anti-Muslim discourse by large segments of society.</b> In this context, civil society has emerged as a central player in championing the cause of minority communities. This role is particularly important <b>in a politically charged environment where the state is often accused of abdicating its constitutional responsibility to protect religious minorities and, in some cases, even instigating violent attacks on them</b>. This paper is an attempt to interrogate civil society understandings of minority rights through an analysis of the strategies and approaches employed by some prominent civil society organisations whose work has influenced the debate on minority rights. The focus is on organisations working for and with Muslim communities, Indiaâs largest religious minority. Through this analysis, the paper presents a critique of the current debate, which has not adequately addressed the problem of the social and economic deprivation suffered by large sections of Muslims, and in so doing, confined the debate to such issues as preserving the secular and plural character of India, discussing the cultural rights of Muslims, preventing anti-minority violence and holding the state accountable for violent attacks on Muslims.
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